The 4th of July and things named Orlando

I've never understood the Fourth of July.
Growing up, the 4th was not a party day. My parents always did normal things on those days. I think they wanted to avoid big crowds, which is understandable, and why go to the beach when it is super crowded, when you could go the next day when it isn't at all crowded?

To me, the 4th consisted of an early pancake breakfast at the Stake Center, and then listening to patriotic songs sung by women who have the highest pitched voices on earth.
And that was it.
Sometimes we would take advantage of sales, or sometimes we would go to a parade, but i don't remember having a really great time ever.

The beauty of the 4th started to become clear to me once i moved out. I was in Utah, and took a hike in the mountains with a few friends of mine. I had to work that day, but was able to meet up with them again for fire works. It was a good day.



The next summer found me in Idaho, and i ended up going to Bear Lake with a friend, and we met her family there, and played around all day. We drove back up to Rexburg when it began to get dark, and we were able to watch fireworks all the way home. We even made it to the bridge where they shoot the Idaho Falls fireworks off at the finale. We completely missed traffic, and had a fun day.

I wasn't really expecting much for this 4th of July. My friends Liji and Christina (Liji rhymes with Fiji) called me and said they were coming up from Utah to hang with their family, and invited me along.

We had a great time. We went to a parade, managed to find a super great spot (everyone uses twine to save their spot, and get mean if you even slow down when you walk past) and then we chilled and we went swimming at a dam, and had a great BBQ. Afterwards, i met up with my roommates for fireworks, and it was a wonderful day. Oh, i also met a skunk named Orlando.



No one knows why "Give a kid a flag to wave" is all one word on this banner, but it didn't bother us too much, because this is Idaho.


What did bother us was this creepy guy. He was part of the DARE float. It wasn't just this guy, there were about 10 other costumed people looking all creepy and scary. What does that mean? If you do drugs you will end up like this? If you do drugs these monsters will come and take you away? Was this a scare tactic? No one had any clue. Does anyone have any ideas?



Me, Liji, Petra, and Christina cheering for candy. We loved the candy. People were also giving away Creamies and Otter Pops. It was a great parade.

A lady in a flower pulled by a man. It was a good float.

I don't know if you can see this, but it was some BMX club, and at the end of that Semi, they have their awards and trophies. I don't know what they would have done if they didn't have that Semi to carry around their trophies. Would two MAC trucks have done the trick?



Liji, his niece Adelaide, and Orlando.



Orlando and Liji's fancy swim trunks.
Orlando is a nice skunk.